San Francisco State Gators football

San Francisco State Gators football
First season 1931
Last season 1995
Head coach Vic Rowen (long-time head coach)
29 year, 130–165–10 (.443)
Stadium Cox Stadium
Seating capacity 5,000
Field surface Grass
Location San Francisco, California
Conference NCAC
Bowl record 0–4 (.000)
Colors

Purple and Gold

          

The San Francisco State Gators football team represented San Francisco State University (Formerly San Francisco State Teacher's College) from the 1931 through 1995 seasons. The Gators originally competed as a member of the Far West Conference from 1931 until the conference changed its name to become the Northern California Athletic Conference, where they remained through the 1995 season. San Francisco State played its home games at multiple stadiums throughout their history with the most recent being Cox Field in San Francisco, California. San Francisco State was known as the "Cradle of Coaches", having produced coaching greats such as Mike Holmgren, Andy Reid, Bob Toledo, and many others.[1]

History

The Early Years

San Francisco State Teachers College was first coached by Dave Cox, who had previously coached at Polytechnic High, starting in the 1931 season. Dave Cox coached the team- then known as the "Staters"- for several seasons before announcing his resignation due to ill health on August 31, 1935.[2] He would be replaced by his two assistants, Dan Farmer who had played and coached at Chico State, and Hal Hardin from Oregon State. Farmer would coach the backs while Hardin worked with the linemen. Farmer would take over the Head Coaching position and is described in the Berkeley Daily Gazette as "one of the greatest athletes ever to graduate from Chico,"[3] would also coach the "Gaters'" basketball team. During the 1935 season, veteran halfback Ralph Nathan was injured for two weeks but would return to the backfield to join quarterback Keith Cox against San Francisco Junior College.[4]

Dan Farmer would later be honored by Golden Gater rival Chico State, his alma mater, with the naming of a perpetual trophy bearing his name would be contested between the two schools.[5] After spending six seasons coaching the football team, Farmer would be replaced by former St. Mary's all-American halfback Dick Boyle in October 1938.[6] During the 1940 season, Boyle's Staters scrimmaged throughout the week in preparation for matches against military sides like the Moffett Field Air Corps Eleven, and over half of his playbook consisted of passing plays to make use of "capable tossers" including Reno Cardoni, John Verducci, Dick Chin, and Fred Hinze.[7]

The outbreak of World War II caused a flurry of change for the "Staters" football program, as Dick Boyle would become a lieutenant in the navy and be replaced by Ray Kaufman in June 1942.[8] Kaufman's tenure was to be a short one, however, as it was announced that Dan Farmer would return to replace Kaufman, who entered the Navy as a gunnery officer, in October of the same year.[9] While Farmer would remain with the State College through the decade in various capacities including Head Coach of the basketball program, he would step down from football with Dick Boyle's return from service in the Navy. Boyle's second as HC in the late '40's is remembered by his successful protest of the "deadman" trick play, which was outlawed in a "gentlemen's agreement" between Far Western Conference schools after used by Southern Oregon to defeat State College 13–7 in the 1947 season.[10]

The Fruit Bowl

San Francisco State met the Southern University Jaguars in the Fruit Bowl in San Francisco, finding themselves completely outclassed on a muddy field and shut out 30–0 in front of 5,000 fans.[11] The Fruit Bowl game is noteworthy for being the first interracial bowl game played in the United States.[12]

The Verducci era

The arrival of Joe Verducci to San Francisco State from St. Mary's College was rather unexpected; after all, St. Mary's was a team that had defeated Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl in 1939, and followed it up with appearances in the Sugar Bowl and the Oil Bowl in 1946 and 1947.[13] San Francisco State was coming off a shutout loss to Southern. Verducci must have made a difference, as St. Mary's would not return to another bowl while SF State would become a Far West powerhouse in the next decade. Verducci's time with the Gaels was indeed short, having replaced "Irish Jimmy Phelan" (who became the mentor of the Los Angeles Dons of the All-America conference), in April 1948.[14] Verducci had been a quarterback with the University of California, and had coached Polytechnic High to a record of 35–6–6 from 1938–1943.[14]

The 1950 season, Verducci's first, would be successful for the Gators. Going through the season undefeated and untied, they met the Pioneers of Lewis and Clark in the Pear Bowl at Medford on Thanksgiving day. Lewis and Clark included a 200-pound candidate for little all-American, while the Gators were handicapped by injuries to halfback Rudy Smith, quarterback Tom Riper and tackle Bob Williamson.[15]

Verducci would be named Northern California Coach of the Year in his final season in November 1960, angering fans of Humboldt State whose coach Phil Sarboe had taken the Lumberjacks to a 9–0 record and an 18-game winning streak, including handing Verducci and the Gators their lone loss in 1960.[16] Students at Humboldt State college burned three dummies representing sports writers in effigy.

Verducci announced his retirement from coaching on May 27, 1960, and remained at San Francisco State as athletic director. College President Glenn S. Dumke named Vic Rowen, line coach for the previous six seasons, as his successor.[17]

The Rowen era

The 1985 season showed promise behind quarterback Rich Strasser, who was described by the coach of the opposing Santa Clara Broncos as "the Division II Doug Flutie".[18] In an early season matchup in September against Cal Lutheran, the combination of Strasser and receiver Ron Teitel could not overcome the clock in the final seconds, but managed to impress the Los Angeles Times staff writer nonetheless.[19]

After Rowen

Dennis Creehan came to San Francisco State after a turmoil-filled day in March 1990 when Creehan was named the linebackers coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers, only to have the team rescind the appointment the next day once Steelers coach Chuck Noll discovered that Creehan was the headman at SFSU, instead of an assistant coach at UC Berkeley as he had been led to believe.[20] The Steelers hired Bob Valesente for the position and Creehan remained at San Francisco State, but would argue that his opportunity to work in the NFL was stolen by the newspapers in Pittsburgh, claiming to have had his career ruined and his family humiliated by reporters at the Post-Gazette.[21]

Following Hamilton, Creehan, and Rowan as the fourth coach in as many years would be Dick Mannini, announced for the position on July 21, 1992.[22] Mannini had served as the defensive coordinator at Stanford from 1984–1988, and had been the head coach of the St. Mary's Gaels from 1977–1983.[22] He coached the Gators for their final three seasons until president Robert A. Corrigan killed the program on March 8, 1995.[23]

San Francisco State Football would not have a winning season after 1973, and only a single winning season after 1967; but in the Gators' heyday, they would win eight conference titles between 1954 and 1967 including a run of 11 straight winning seasons.[24]

Head coaches

Tenure Coach Years Record Pct.
1931–1935 Dave Cox 5
1935–1938 Dan Farmer 3
1938–1942 Dick Boyle 5
1942 Ray Kaufman 1
1942–1945? Dan Farmer 2
1945?–1950 Dick Boyle 6
1950–1960 Joe Verduci 11 74–31 .704
1960–1989 Vic Rowen 29 130–165–10[25] .443
1990–1991 Dennis Creehan 1 4–7 .363
1991–1992 Harold "Budgie" Hamilton 1 3–7 .300
1992–1994 Dick Mannini 3 6–22 .214
Totals 11 coaches 63 234–201–19[26] .439

Records

All-time bowl results

Date Bowl Location W/L Opponent PF PA
December 5, 1948 Pear Bowl Medford, Oregon L Southern University Jaguars 0 30
November 27, 1950 Fruit Bowl San Francisco, California L Lewis and Clark Pioneers 7 61
December 9, 1967 Camelia Bowl Sacramento, California L San Diego State Aztecs 6 27
Total 3 bowl games 0–3 13 118

Gaters in the pros

In the NFL

San Francisco State University has 12 alumni who were drafted into the National Football League.[27]

Name Position Year Overall Pick Team
Floyd Peters DT 1952 93 Baltimore Colts
Charley Fuller HB 1961 220 Oakland Raiders
Elmer Collett G 1966 208 San Francisco 49ers
Lyle Baucom OT 1967 431 Washington Redskins
Terry Oakes DE 1967 377 San Francisco 49ers
Jim Schmidt DB 1968 437 Atlanta Falcons
Joe Koontz WR 1968 234 New York Giants
Dennis Pete DB 1972 178 Oakland Raiders
Robert Sparks DB 1976 376 Minnesota Vikings
Rick Faulk Pk 1976 410 Minnesota Vikings
Frank Duncan DB 1979 321 San Diego Chargers
Doug Parish DB 1991 175 New York Jets

Among those drafted into the NFL, Floyd Peters would go on to become a standout defensive tackle for the Baltimore Colts, earning a bid to the Pro Bowl three times. Likewise, Elmer Collett had a ten-year career with the San Francisco 49ers as well as the Baltimore Colts, making it to the Pro Bowl in the 1969 season.

Another NFL figure, Bill Baird, was drafted into the American Football League and started for the New York Jets from 1963 to 1969. Baird was a part of the oft-remembered Jets team that played in Super Bowl III in 1969, giving the AFL their first Super Bowl victory.

In other professional leagues

In addition to the players that competed in the NFL, there have been several former Gators that have made careers in other professional football leagues. Former Gator defensive end Nick Kukilica earned a place among the All-Stars of the short-lived Continental Football League in 1969, playing for the Sacramento Capitols.[28] Likewise, several Gators found success with the Canadian Football League; Doug Parish had a career with the Edmonton Eskimos,[29] while Ken Hailey played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.[30]

References

  1. ↑ Fool, Betting (March 9, 2004). "Local sports disappearing, Bay Area pros can help". SF Gate. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  2. ↑ "Dave Cox Resigns as Staters Coach". Berkeley Daily Gazette. Aug 31, 1935. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  3. ↑ "Golden Gaters to Meet Chico State". Berkeley Daily Gazette. Oct 13, 1939. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  4. ↑ "State Backfield Chosen for Game". Berkeley Daily Gazette. Oct 10, 1935. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  5. ↑ "Schools to Honor Coach". Berkeley Daily Gazette. Oct 16, 1940. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  6. ↑ "Dick Boyle Named S.F. State Mentor". Berkeley Daily Gazette. Oct 15, 1938. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  7. ↑ "Staters to Face Air Corps Eleven". Berkeley Daily Gazette. Sep 9, 1940. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  8. ↑ UP (Jun 2, 1942). "Alumnus Is Named Head Football Coach at S.F. State". San Jose Evening News. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  9. ↑ "Dan Farmer Named to Succeed Ray Kaufman". Berkeley Daily Gazette. Oct 27, 1942. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  10. ↑ "'Deadman' Trick Play Outlawed in West". The Pittsburgh Press. Jan 12, 1948. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  11. ↑ "Jaguar Cats Win Fruit Bowl Game". The New York Times. December 5, 1948. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  12. ↑ "Deaths (Part 2 of 2)". The Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA). Aug 29, 2006. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  13. ↑ "Saint Mary's Bowl History". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  14. 1 2 "Joe Verducci Named Grid Coach for the Gaels". Warsaw Daily Union. Apr 2, 1948. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  15. ↑ "Pear Bowl Game Set at Medford". The Bulletin. Nov 21, 1950. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  16. ↑ "Humboldt Sore Over Selection". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Nov 16, 1960. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  17. ↑ "Verducci to Retire". Eugene Register-Guard. May 27, 1960. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  18. ↑ "Strasser Worries Broncos, Malley calls him Division II Flutie". San Jose Mercury News. Nov 2, 1985. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  19. ↑ Henson, Steve (Sep 28, 1985). "Strasser-Teitel Show Still Gets Rave Reviews". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  20. ↑ "Steelers hire ex-Pitt coach". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Mar 10, 1990. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  21. ↑ Bouchette, Ed (Mar 14, 1990). "Creehan: Newspapers ruined me". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  22. 1 2 "New SFSU Coach". Lodi News-Sentinel. Jul 22, 1992. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  23. ↑ Leef, Ralph (March 10, 1995). "MANDATES KILLED SF STATE FOOTBALL". Santa Rosa Press Democrat. Retrieved 26 May 2011.
  24. ↑ Curtis, Jake (Mar 9, 1995). "Long-Time SF State Coach 'Heartbroken' At Demise of Football". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  25. ↑ "Vic Rowen - AFCA.com". Official Site of the American Football Coaches Association. Retrieved 8 May 2011.
  26. ↑ "San Francisco St. (CA) Records by Year". Retrieved 26 May 2011.
  27. ↑ "National Football League: NFL Draft History – by School". NFL.com. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
  28. ↑ "Continental Football League (1965–1969)". Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  29. ↑ "1993 Jogo CFL Football Cards". Ab D. Cards. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  30. ↑ "1985 Jogo CFL Football Cards". Ab D. Cards. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
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